Heavenly Wisdom (Shaykh Nāzim, 185 pages, 11/11)
https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=5760
and respect
and justice; then through these good values you will come closer, to your Lord, Allāh Almighty. Try to be closer to Him. Give Him your highest respect, highest praise, and highest service thus trying to make Him Pleased with you. That is the goal for which you must aim: to make Allāh Almighty Pleased with you. If you can please Allāh Almighty, you should be counted amongst the lucky ones! We are praying that everyone may join the ranks of the lucky ones. We pray that everyone reaches their Lord here, and endless Mercy hereafter. That is our aim. We are not here to search for glory because dunyā cheats everyone, and the most dangerous enemy for believers is to be in love with dunyā and to leave mawla ...
Beware of satanic ideas – leave them! Be Beloved Servants of Allāh Almighty!
Don’t be slaves of your nafs, of your ego! Don’t be slaves of Satan!
May Allāh Almighty save you, and me, and His servants.
APHORISMS
Do n ot mix with bad ones, keep away from bad places. We
cannot do anything against them, we have no power, power is in the hands of shay†āns. Every morning ask Allāh to be separated from them. We are waiting for Mahdî, ‘alayhi salâm, until he comes we have no power.
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randshaykh has just asked me to pass on this message: Grandshaykh is very pleased with all his daughters, all his daughters. He says that if only they would stop being jealous they will be with the Prophet, salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, awake they
will be seeing him!
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awlânâ was asked about paying insurance, he told the ques- tioner: Do not pay insurance, trust in Allāh, not insurance,
and give the money that you would pay for insurance as sadaqah, that protects you. If you have to have insurance for legal reasons then do so.
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h e high e st adab, the one with the highest adab for Allāh is always happy with everything that comes to him. That is
the highest point of respect and belief, because that one knows that everything is from Allāh. Nothing comes from anyone except Allāh, He controls everything.
The highest adab is to know and accept and be happy with every- thing: because everything is Perfect. It cannot be other than Perfect. Even in its imperfection it is Perfect. That is the highest point, and the most difficult to reach, always be happy.
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he statio n o f w om en: Every maqām is open to women.
There is no maqām that women cannot reach. Every maqām is open to them. Every maqām. There is no maqām that they cannot reach. They may reach much more quickly than men – a woman may reach the highest maqām in forty minutes, she may reach in forty minutes that which it takes a man forty days to reach ... Her problem is staying there! Therefore she is in need of a husband, a shaykh, to give her the stability she needs.
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Glossary of terms
‘Abdu l-Qādir al-Jîlānî – Born 470 AH (1077 AD) – died 561 AH (1166 AD).
Known as The Rose of Baghdad, he was born in Naif in the Jilan district of Persia, and he was a descendant of the Holy Prophet Mukammad, his mother being descended from the Prophet’s grandson Óusayn and his father from the Prophet’s grandson Óasan. The founder of the Qādirî tarîqah, he is one of the most renowned Sufis of all times. The most famous collection of his lectures is “The Revelations of the Unseen” (Futûª al-ghayb).
Abû Bakr as-Ziddîq – Born 53 before Hijrah (570 AD) – died 12 AH (633 AD). First Khalîfah of the Holy Prophet Mukammad and inheritor of the inner teaching transmitted to his heart in the Cave of Thawr where the Prophet and he were hiding from would-be assassins.
Abû Lahab – The wealthiest of the Pro- phet’s uncles. He refused to accept Islām and did everything in his power to destroy Mukammad. Two of his sons embraced Islām.
Abû Yazîd al-Bis†āmî – Born 186 AH (800 AD)? – died 260 AH (874-877
AD). Also known as Bāyazîd and
tayfûr, was born in North-Eastern Persia, the grandson of a Zoroastri- an. One of the most colourful figures in the history of the Sufis, there are many wonderful stories and sayings from his life which are mentioned in Tadhkirat al-awliyâ’, Farîd ud-din A††ār (“Muslim Saints and Mystics”–
translated by Arberry). He was an early Naqshbandî master and was famed for his many miracles and start- ling sayings.
adab – Good manners, the proper way of behaving, respecting people’s feelings and knowing how to treat them, as well as keeping one’s respect towards Allāh Almighty and having a correct attitude in your relationship to Him, are at the heart of the teaching of the Holy Prophet Mukammad – this whole area of knowledge and wisdom is refferred to as adab.
ahl al-bayt – People of my house – the blood descendants of the Prophet Mukammad, peace be upon him and upon his family.
ahlan wa sahlan – Literally, fields and houses. A welcome.
ahlu s-sunnati wa l-jamā‘ah – People of the Sunna and community.
ākhirah – The Hereafter. ‘alayhi salām – Peace be on him.
‘alaykum bi shām – Seek refuge in Damascus, an advice from both the Qur’ān and from Óadîth.
al-kamdu li-llāh – All Praise is due to Allāh.
‘Alî ibn tālib – Born 30 Before Hijrah (592 AD). Assassinated 40 AH (662 AD). Cousin of the Prophet and husband of the Prophet’s daughter Fā†imah. Fourth and last of the rightly guided Khalifs. Inheritor of Islām’s inner teaching, and thus the first Shaykh in the succession of forty Zûfî turuq.
Allāh – The name of God which en- compasses all the other names. The One True God for whom there is no partner nor any equal in the Heavens or the Earth.
Allāhu Akbar! – God is Greater.
Allāhu ‘ālim – God is the Knower, God knows.
Allāhumma salli ‘alā Mukammadin wa ‘alā āli Mukammadin wa sallim – O God send blessings on Mukammad and send blessings upon the family of Mukammad.
Allāhu na|irî – Allāh is watching me. Allāhu shahid – He is the one who wit-
nesses all things and events every- where at all times.
al-‘arsh – The Divine Throne. anbiyā’ – Prophets.
ashhadu – I bear witness. The declara- tion of faith in Islām states – I witness that there is no god but God and I witness that Mukmmad is His servant and His Messenger.
astaghfiru llāh – Seeking forgiveness from Allāh.
a‘ûdhu bi-llāhi mina sh-shay†āni r-ra- jîm – I seek refuge in Allāh against shay†ān.
awliyā’, walî singular of awliyā’ – Friends of Allāh, nearest English equivalent is Saint.
āyah – Sign of Allāh, verse of the Holy Qur’ān.
‘Azîz Allāh – He is the Victorious one whom no force can overwhelm. But He does not hurry to destroy the one who persists in revolt and sin.
banî Âdam – Children of Âdam.
barakah, plural: barakāt – Blessing, benediction, abundant and continual good, prosperity, good fortune. A spiritual aura emanating from holy people, places and objects (tombs of saints, places of pilgrimage).
Battle of Ukud – The second battle between the Muslims and the Mec- cans, the first was the battle of Badr in which the Muslims were victori- ous. At Ukud the battle appeared over and Muslim bowmen in a key position and under strict orders not to leave their post for anything did so when they thought the battle had been won and didn’t want to miss out on any spoils. The Meccan were able to snatch victory back. Sixty- five Muslims were martyred, among them the Prophet’s uncle, Óamzah. At one point in the battle the Prophet himself was, incorrectly, believed to be dead.
baya‘/bayat – To take an oath of alle-
giance. The companions of the Prophet took bādunyā with him. The mureeds of a shaykh take bādunyā with him.
Bilāl – An African slave who was tor- tured by his owner to try and make him deny Allāh. He refused. When the Prophet made his ascent into the Divine Presence he heard the foot- steps of Bilāl, Allāh Almighty had lifted him to Him to save him from suffering.
bismi llāhi r-rakmāni r-rakîm – In the name of Allāh the All Merciful the All Compassionate.
dhikr – Mentioning. Often translated as remembering. Used to name the ac- tivity of recitation of the Holy Names of Allāh, the Holy Qur’ān, and any other act of remembering Him.
Dajjāl – The Anti-Christ, may Allāh protect us from falling victim to his deception. He will appear at the end of time, after the Great War (Third World War), in the time of Sayyidinā Mahdî, who will not have the power to kill Dajjāl. That power Allāh Almighty has given to Jesus
Christ who will at that time descend from Heaven and go out to fight and kill Dajjāl in a place to the north of Damascus.
du‘ā’ – invocation.
dunyā – The “here”, this life, the world of things. Material existence and ma- terialism.
dustoor – Avert.
efendi – An honorific title.
fātikah – The opening sûrah of the Qur’- ān, al-Fātikah, literally, the opening. The whole Qur’ān is contained in the Fātikah.
kadîth – Prophetic Tradition. Beginning with the generation of the tābi‘în (those who never met the Prophet but did meet some of his surviving companions) those kadîths began to be collected in volumes and classified according to subject and verified in authenticity through examination of the reliability of the characters and memories of those who transmitted them.
kajj – Pilgrimage to Mecca to visit the Holy House of Allāh, the Ka‘bah. It is one of the five pillars of Islām that every Muslim must make Óajj once in their life.
kalāl– Permissible, lawful, legitimate. All actions which fall within the limits of the Sharî‘ah.
al-Óalîm – The Forbearer. He is for- bearing in the punishment of the guilty.
karām – Forbidden, unlawful, prohibi- ted either because of sacredness or harmfulness. All actions which fall outside the limits of Sharî‘ah.
Harûn ar-Rashîd – Khalif of the Abbasid dynasty, the longest-lived of the me- dieval Islamic world (749-1258) based
in Baghdad. He is the Khalif of The Thousand and one Nights, and ruled from 786-809.
kaqq/kaqqānî – Óaqq is one of the ninety nine names of Allāh – The Truth. He is the Truth, His being never changes, His Essence is valid in itself and is the cause and necessity for all other existence. Óaqq is exist- ent by itself, the only true existence. Everything except Allāh begins, changes, disappears, reappears. The Truth is that which needs no proof and whose denial is impossible. Allāh is the Truth whose Essence is the cause and is necessary for all other existence.
kayya ‘alā s-salāh – Hasten to the prayer.
ikdā – Presentation of the blessings that have been received to the Prophet, the companions, the saints, the schol- ars and the masters of the †arîqah.
iksān – Excellence, particularly of man- ners and faith.
Imām – Leader of prayer. Literally ‘in front of’.
imān – Faith.
jalla jallālah – From al-Jalîl, The Majes- tic, the Mighty. Al-Jalîl is the Lord of Majesty and Might. His Knowledge, Power, Mercy, Generosity, Wisdom and Compassion is Great – He is the source and owner of all attributes of greatness.
Jamāl – Perfect Beauty. janāzah – Funeral prayer.
Jibrîl – The Archangel Gabriel.
jinn – Genie, what we indiscriminately refer to as spirits. The Qur’ān is ad- dressed to both Mankind and Jinn. The Jinn are made of smokeless fire, Man from earth and the Angels from light. There are both believers and un-
believers found among the Jinn. Their bodies being subtler than man’s, they cannot be seen normally, however they can affect the lives of men in various ways.
Ka‘bah – The Holy House of Allāh in Mecca. Built in the shape of a cube, the Ka‘bah was first erected by the Prophet Abraham and his son Ismā‘îl when Abraham was ordered to leave his wife Hajar and her son in that desolate valley. Allāh provided them miraculously with water from the Zam-zam well, and established them in the land. The Lord promised to bless the seed of Ismā‘îl and the fruit of the blessing was the sending of the Prophet Mukmmad. After the Ka‘bah’s consecration to the one true God by Abraham and his son, the people fell into idol worship for many generations until the time of Mukammad, when the Ka‘bah was cleaned of idols and worship of the One True God was re-established. All Muslims face the direction of the Ka‘bah in their prayers – not be- cause they assume God to be living in it – rather that it is the symbolic demonstration of unity.
kāfir – Denier, rejector of Truth. Un-
believer. Whoever has come into contact with the true religion repre- sented in its pure form by a Prophet or by one of their inheritors, and then consciously rejects that Truth and persists in stubborn unbelief is said to be a kāfir.
al-Karîm, Karîm Allāh – The Generous, one of the Ninety-nine Names. In His Generosity He gives help, satisfy- ing your needs before you ask. His greatest Generosity is His Mercy, through which He forgives when He could punish.
Kamāl – Perfect wholeness.
khalîfah – Deputy. The Islamic state was ruled by the Khalif. The first Khalif was Abû Bakr as-Ziddîq.
khi†ab – Speech, an address.
khu†bah – The address to the congrega- tion at the Friday prayers.
kursî – Chair, the Divine Throne.
Layla and Majnûn – Majnûn fell madly in love with Layla, he could think of nothing but her.
Lā ilāha illā llāh – There is no god ex- cept God.
Lā ilāha ill Allāh Mukammadun Rasûl Allāh – There is no god except God and Mukammad is His Messenger.
laka aslamnā – to you we surrender.
madad – Support.
al-Mahdî – The Last One. A man from the descendants of the Holy Prophet Mukammad who will appear at the end of time in order to fight the ene- mies of faith and prepare the way for the coming of Jesus Christ. Imām al-Mahdî will be given miracles to accomplish his great mission and will rule the world for seven years. He will appear three months after the out- break of the Third World War, and one of his miracles will be that when he pronounces the words, “Allāhu Akbar!” three times, all the techno- logy of the war and of the world will cease to function.
maqām – On the spiritual journey there
are different stations, or ranks to be attained. The seeker sometimes receives a taste of them as a blessing from their Lord, these are known as states (kāl) but it is only when they are firm in their position that they have attained the maqām, the station.
Mawlānā – Our master.
mā zāgha l-basar wa mā hawā – (During his heavenly journey) the Prophet’s gaze k neither digressed nor sank.
mi‘rāj – One of the miracles of the Pro-
phet. He was taken by Jibrîl on the back of the mystical steed, al-Burāq, from the Holy Mosque of Mecca to the Holy Rock of Jerusalem and up from there to the Seven Heavens, in each of which he met and conversed with one of the Holy Prophets who came before him. After reaching the top of the Seventh Heaven, he was taken to the limit of Jibrîl’s domain, then con- tinued to the Divine Presence where he came within two bow lengths of the Majestic and Most Exalted Crea- tor of the Heavens and Earth.
Mukammad – Mukammad son of ‘Ab- dullāh, son of ‘Abd al-Mu††alib – The Messenger of Allāh Almighty who was sent as a mercy unto the Worlds, the last of the Prophets and their leader – he for who’s sake Allāh created the world, May peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him. He was born in the fifty-first year before Hijrah (569 AD) and his father died before Mukammad was born. He grew up in the care of his uncle Abû tālib and worked as a shepherd and later as a trader. At the age of twenty-five he marrried a widow named Khadîjah who was fifteen years elder, and re- mained married solely to her until her death twenty-six years later.
Mukammad never worshipped the
idols that had been set up in and around the Holy House in Mecca. Rather, Mukammad was one of the detached seekers of Truth who were known as ‘Óunafā’’, who were search- ing for the purity of the religion of Abraham, rejecting what they could recognize as the obvious perversions in not only the cults of the pagan Arabs
who were predominant in Arabia, but also in the much tampered with doctrines of the Jews and Christians. At the age of forty, Mukammad was in spiritual seclusion in the Cave of Hira when he was visited by the Angel Gabriel who ordered him to read. Mukammad replied that he did not know how to read or write, as he was unlettered; but the Angel squeezed his chest and repeated the order thrice: “Read in the name of your Lord Who created; created man from a clot of blood, Read and your Lord is the Most Generous, for He is the One who taught man by the pen, taught man that which he did not know!” With these words the revelation of the Qur’ān commenced, and for the following twenty-three years the Prophet continued to re- ceive revelation through Gabriel. These revelations are contained in the Holy Qur’ān which is a source of enough guidance to lead the nation of Mukammad from that time to the Last Day.
Thirteen years after the beginning
of revelation, the Holy Prophet mi- grated from Mecca to Medina along with his followers, when the pagan Arabs of Mecca threatened and tried to kill him. This event is called Hij- rah and it marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. After living for ten years in Medina, a time in which all the Qurān’ic verses dictating Islamic Law and social norms were revealed, and Islām had been established in an entire community as a living way of life, the Prophet passed on to the hands of his Creator. He passed away on the same date as he was born – the twelfth of the lunar month Rabî‘ah al-Awwal, in the year 10 AH (632 AD).
Mu’min – A Believer.
murîd – A follower who desires to learn the Sufi Way from a Shaykh. Literally one who is asking.
mushrik – Idol worshipper. Those who make partners.
Muslim – One who has surrendered his will to the Will of Allāh.
nafs – Soul, self, ego. Three levels of nafs are mentioned in the Holy Qur’ān: 1 The nafs al-ammārah bi-ssû’ – the lower self that prompts one to evil and gratification of animal desires. 2 The nafs al-lawwāmah – the awaken- ing conscience, the self-accusing self. 3 The nafs al-mu†ma’innah – the tranquil soul at peace, the God-real- ized self.
nasîkah – Advice.
Nimrod – The idol worshipping king who tried to burn Abraham alive after he destroyed the idols to show the people that what they worshipped was powerless mud and wood.
niyyah – Intention.
nûr – Literally: light. A spiritual light that shines from the soul, from the pure heart. One of The Names, an- Nûr. The Light. He is the light shed upon the whole Creation, making it apparent, bringing existence out of the darkness of non-existence. That light makes the conceivable known. The light of faith and wisdom shows the perceptible, and the eye of the heart sees. The light of faith shows the right path of salvation, it is like a sun in the heart, bringing one to the light of Truth. Devil and ego cannot enter a divine house, a heart illuminated by the light of faith because they are thieves operating in darkness. The gate to the heart is the mind, the light of that gate is knowledge, blocking out the evil of ignorance, imagination,
hypocrisy and arrogance. The light of the soul is consciousness, its darkness
– heedlessness.
Qur’ān Karîm – Literally, Qur’ān means lecture, recitation. The Noble Qur’ān was revealed unto the Prophet Mukammad over a twenty-three year period. It is a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds imparted through the Angel Gabriel to the heart of Mukam- mad, peace and blessings be upon him, and passed on by the Prophet, by Di- vine Command, to the whole of Man- kind and Jinn. It was sent as a Seal of Scriptures, following in the footsteps of the Torah, Psalms and Gospel in bringing light unto the people of the world of darkness. In it is affirmed the Prophethood of all the earlier Proph- ets, and major incidents from their lives are summarized therein; the Qur’ān brings to light the crimes of tampering with scripture which both Jews and Christians had been guilty of, and sets straight all that they had twisted and misunderstood in their doctrines. The Qur’ān sets down a Di- vinely Inspired Law and Way of Life which is valid and applicable until the end of time. The Qur’ān contains not only Law and summaries of the lives of earlier Prophets, but also mystical parables, descriptions of eternal bliss for the obedient and warnings of tor- ment for the stubborn and evil-doing tyrants of this world. The Qur’ān is the Eternal Speech of Allāh and has been transmitted to Mankind in the Arabic language because of the mystical power of its sounds – the sound of the Qur’ān has been known to melt the hearts of the most stub- born unbelievers who understood not a word of Arabic – it cannot really be translated into any other language.
A translation of its meaning may be useful indeed, but it cannot stand in the place of the original, neither in prayer nor spiritual benefit.
Rābi†ah – From the verb raba†a to link, to connect.
ar-Rakmān – The Beneficent. He is the one Who wills mercy and good for all Creation at all times. He doesn’t dis- tinguish between the good and the bad one, the obedient and the disobedient, believer or unbeliever. Through His Divine Justice He gives chance to everyone to reach everything through this life. He is Compassionate and Beneficent to all creatures.
ar-Rakîm – The Merciful. He is the one who rewards the good servants, the obedient ones, the believers. That signs also His Justice because those who put their ego under their feet are not like those dominated by their ego. Rakmān is Mercy upon the nafs, the worldly being, giving sustenance in this world; Rakîm is Mercy upon the heart, giving eternal salvation in the hereafter.
Rama¡ān – The Holy month of the nation of Mukammad during which it is obligatory for Muslims to fast from sunrise to sunset, neither eating or drinking.
Rasûl Allāh – Messenger of Allāh. Rizq – Provision. From ar-Razzāq – the
Sustainer. Sustenance is needed to maintain the Creation. He provides and portions out physical and spiritual sustenance.
sābiqûn – Those that came before us, those that preceded us.
sadaqah – Voluntary charity. Acts of charity also include acts such as visit- ing the sick and other good actions.
sakābah – The companions of the Holy Prophet Mukammad, may Allāh be pleased with all of them. They num- bered 124,000 and represented all the different types of personalities that would be found throughout the era of the Nation of Mukammad. The sakābah who embraced Islām in Mecca and later migrated to Medina were called the Muhājirûn (those who have made hijrah, migration). The Ansār (Helpers) were those residents of Medina who embraced Islām and welcomed the Prophet and his fellow Muhajirûn to Medina, preferring them, in many cases, to themselves and giving them most of what they possessed. Later there were many other sakābah who embraced Islām as it spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula, including the residents of Mecca who had fought against the Prophet but later embraced Islām en masse when the Muslim Army con- quered Mecca in the year 6 AH.
shahādah – Witnessing. The declara-
tion of faith.
Shahîd – A Martyr. Comes from the verb root, witnessing. One killed fighting for Allāh.
Shāh Naqshband – Born 717 AH (1317 AD) near Bukhara, died 791 AH (1389 AD) in his native village where he is buried. The Imām of the Naqshbandî
tarîqah, he was the inheritor of the spiritual way called the Path of the Masters (Khawājagān). His name signifies the concept of ‘drawing pic- tures of the indescribable reality on the heart’. Shah Naqshband studied under Mukammad Baba as-Sammāsî who ultimately appointed him his Khalîfah. He continued his studies under another Khalîfah of Baba as-Sammāsî, Amir Kulāl, and yet another, ‘Ârif ad-Dikkiranî, before
taking the reins of the †arîqah himself. He then spent seven years as a cour- tier, seven years looking after animals and seven in road building. Among his followers, he introduced the silent dhikr, rather than the types of loud and lively dhikr-rituals that were pre- dominant among the Sufis of his time. He preferred the silent dhikr as it was taught by the earlier master ‘Abdu l- Khāliq al-Ghujdawānî (died 575 AH). Consequently the Naqshbandiyyah became known as the Way of the Silent Dervishes and most of their rituals are performed silently and individually. The Naqshbandiyyah is the only †arîqah which came down through Abû Bakr rather than ‘Alî and only Naqshbandî Shaykhs have the authority to initiate students into all other †arîqah branches, that it is why it is called tarîqah al-‘Aliyyah – The Most Distinguished of tarîqah, Orders.
salla llāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam – Allāh pray
upon him (the Prophet) and send him peace.
salawāt – Praise and prayers for the Prophet.
as-Zālikîn – The righteous.
shāfî, yā Shāfî – Healer, O healer. sharî‘ah – The canon law of Islām, the
totality of Allāh’s commandments relating to the activities of man; the indispensable basis for religious life. Sharî‘ah and kaqqîqah (the mystical reality) form a correlated pair, giving to man the possibility of unfolding his potential to the highest degree.
Shukru li-llāh – Thanking. Giving thanks to the Lord. From ash-Shukr, the Thankful, the Benefactor, one of the Ninety-nine Names of Allāh.
siddiqî – Trustworthy.
sukbah – Association, companionship. Subkān Allāh – Glory be to God.
Subkān Allāh ta‘ālā – Glory be to God Most High.
sujûd – Prostration. One of the integral postures in the prayer ritual.
Sul†ān al-Awliyā’ – King of the Saints. Title given to Shaykh ‘Abdullāh ad- Daghestānî. The Head of the Naqsh- bandî tarîqah before Shaykh Nāzim. Shaykh Nāzim would never refer to himself as Sul†ān al-Awliyā’ although others do.
Sul†ān Allāh – Allāh is the one True Lord. He is King, He is Sul†ān.
sunnah – The practice and way of the Holy Prophet Mukammad, which encompasses everything from his manners, pronouncements, advice, rulings and even ways of relating to eating and going to the toilet, and supplications which follow those acts. His was the way of perfect manners and behaviour which we must try to emulate if we hope to reach anything of spiritual perfection.
tabārakah – The first word of sûrah al- Mulk. Sûrahs of the Qur’ān are often referred to by their first word.
tablîghi – Conveyance, transmission, delivery. Calling people to Islām.
†arîqah – Way, or path. Often associated with the Sufi Path. All Zûfî turuq originate in the heart of the Prophet Mukammad, peace be upon him, and consist of the inner teachings of Islām which he passed on to ‘Alî and Abû Bakr, and they in turn to their suc- cessors. When the Holy Prophet had learned something from the Angel Gabriel or through inspiration, it was also indicated to him to which category that knowledge belonged: whether it was meant for him alone, whether it was knowledge which he had permission to pass along to the elect of his disciples (this category
is the knowledge of the †arîqahs), or knowledge which he could announce openly to all the World.
tasbîk – Glorification of Allāh. This word refers not only to those praises made to Allāh by pious worshipping people, but also to the exalting and worship of Allāh by all animals, plants and inanimate objects.
tawbah li-llāh – tawbah – Repentance. From at-Tawwāb – the Acceptor of repentance. He constantly turns man to repent, awakening the hearts of believers from the sleep of heedless- ness through love of Him, with the manifestation of His existence around them, with the words of good advice of those who are close to Him, with promises of rewards and fear of His punishment. The repentance accept- able is the effort of inner cleaning and purification. The Prophet says that the person who repents of a sin is like someone who has never sinned.
†awāf – Circumabulation of the Holy
House in Mecca, in imitation of the Angels’ constant circumambulation of the Divine Throne.
thawwāb – Reward. thumma – Then.
‘ulamā’ – Scholars.
‘Umar (ibn al-Kha††āb) – Born 30 be- fore Hijrah, assassinated 23 AH (644 AD). The second of the Rightly Guided Khalîfahs of the Holy Prophet Mukammad. ‘Umar was at first an enemy of Islām and was on his way to kill the Prophet, but when he entered the Prophet’s chamber belief in Islām and the Prophet’s mission came into his heart and he left a Muslim and a dedicated follower of Mukammad. ‘Umar was known for his boundless enthusiasm in trying to serve the Prophet, for his quick
temper, unswerving sense of justice and absolute integrity. It was under the Khalîfat of ‘Umar, which began in the twelfth year after Hijrah follow- ing the death of Abû Bakr, that Islām spread through the Middle East and Central Asia. He was stabbed in the back while at prayer by a Christian slave, and upon his deathbed thanked God for not letting him die at the hands of a fellow Muslim.
ummah – Community. Especially the na- tion of any given prophet, i. e. those for which he is responsible and for whom he will intercede. Now is the time for which the Prophet Mukammad, peace be upon him, is responsible. All people living from the time of his mes- sage to the last day are his Ummah. They are divided into the Ummah of Those Who Have Been Called (Um- mah ad-Dawwah) and Those Who Have Answered The Call (Ummah al-Ijābah).
al-Wahhāb – The Giver of All. He is the Benefactor, He gives all without conditions, without limits, with- out asking for any benfit or return, giving everything to everyone, eve- rywhere, always. He gives money to the poor, health to the sick, children to those who are barren, freedom to the trapped, knowledge to the igno- rant. When He gives to you nothing can prevent that good from coming to you.
wahhābî – A group of Muslims who are followers of the infamous Mukammad bin ‘Abd al-Wahhāb of Najd, Saudia Arabia. This group is that which the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, referred to as those who will come at the end of time, who will profess reli- gion but in reality it will pass through their hearts like an arrow.
walāyah – Sainthood. The state of being a friend of Allāh. The word wilāyah which means a district of territory is from the same root, and this points to the fact that the awliyā’ have always guarded over areas apportioned to them by higher authority (Allāh and His Prophet), and are responsible for attending to the spiritual needs of the inhabitants of the areas over which they have been made responsible.
wu¡û’ – Ritual ablution. Before pray- ing it is obligatory for every Muslim to perform ablution by making the intention to perform ablution for prayer for the sake of Allāh. He then washes his hands, mouth, nostrils, face, arms, head, ears, back of neck and feet. Although it is not obligatory, it is considered very good practice to remain always in a state of ritual pu- rity. Ablution must be renewed after
going to the toilet, passing wind, getting angry or sexually excited, and after sleep.
wujûd kaqqānî – wujûd – body. Real body, not the physical corpus but the True Real Body which is the gift of Allāh Almighty to the sincere servant.
Yawm al-Qiyāmah – The Day of Re- surrection. The Day upon which the bones of all the Children of Âdam will be called from their graves, clothed anew with flesh and skin, and called to account for the actions they per- formed in their lives.
zakāh – Poor-due.
zāwiyah – Literally – corner. Sufis used to gather for dhikr or sukbah in a corner of the mosque. It became the name of their centers.
m o r e b o o k s b y s p o h r
This
Sheikh Nazim To Be a Muslim The Basics of Faith
84 pages, Lympia 2016.
ISBN 978–9963–40–122–2
is an adequate guidebook for
all of mankind, indeed upon all crea- tures and everything brought into ex- istence by the Creator. He will begin to fathom why even stones weep at the passing of this holy month.
Mawlânâ Firâqî
everyone who wants to learn more about his religion, especially in this time when there is so much misinfor- mation, and when so many sources pro- fessing Islam are unreliable.
The Forty Questions Prophet Muªammad’s k Response
to the Jews of Medina
144 pages, Lympia 2013.
ISBN 978-9963-40-113-0
N abil Ibrahim
The
beautiful and astonish-
Dawriya
ing stories lead to a profound
Keeping Company with a Saint
160 pages, paperback,Lympia 2016.
isb n 978–9963–40–124–6
Nabil Ibrahim, who devoted him- self to the service of his Master for 15 years, found the voice to speak, the words to express something of the love and gratitude we all feel for an in- comparable Master. But the love he so powerfully gives voice to, is ours, all of ours, the same.
A mina Adil
Ramadan
The Three Holy Month
of Rajab, Sha‘bân, Rama¡ân
On Fasting, Prayer and Other Matters
80 pages, Lympia 2016.
ISBN 978–9963–40–125–3
understanding of the power of Allāh Almighty, His will and compassion which He bestows upon His creation
–a wisdom which generations of Mus- lims are proud of.
I mâm al-Ghazâlî
Mukhtasar
The Ihyâ’ ‘ulûm ad-dîn as abriged by himself
Translated from the Arabic, and annotated by Marwan Khalaf
Hardcover, 480 pages,
Lympia 2013.
isb n 978–9963–40–051–5
The Shaykh and Imam, the Proof of Islam, Abû Óâmid Muªammad ibn Muªammad al-Ghazâlî ق stated: ‘... I missed, in some of my travels, a facility for extracting from the Ihyâ’ ‘ulûm ad- dîn its essences, due to the difficulty of
This book contains some of the
carrying it around with me, on account
most beautiful traditions concerning the holy months Rajab, Sha‘bān, and Rama¡ān in particular. The reader will understand that its blessings descend not only upon the Muslims, but upon
of its bulk. Hence I tackled this matter, seeking success and guidance from God and praising His Prophet. It consists of forty chapters. – And God guides to the truth.’
www. s p ohr -p ub l ish e rs . com
Link: https://www.nvrislam.net/index.php?j=eng&post=5760
and respect
and justice; then through these good values you will come closer, to your Lord, Allāh Almighty. Try to be closer to Him. Give Him your highest respect, highest praise, and highest service thus trying to make Him Pleased with you. That is the goal for which you must aim: to make Allāh Almighty Pleased with you. If you can please Allāh Almighty, you should be counted amongst the lucky ones! We are praying that everyone may join the ranks of the lucky ones. We pray that everyone reaches their Lord here, and endless Mercy hereafter. That is our aim. We are not here to search for glory because dunyā cheats everyone, and the most dangerous enemy for believers is to be in love with dunyā and to leave mawla ...
Beware of satanic ideas – leave them! Be Beloved Servants of Allāh Almighty!
Don’t be slaves of your nafs, of your ego! Don’t be slaves of Satan!
May Allāh Almighty save you, and me, and His servants.
APHORISMS
Do n ot mix with bad ones, keep away from bad places. We
cannot do anything against them, we have no power, power is in the hands of shay†āns. Every morning ask Allāh to be separated from them. We are waiting for Mahdî, ‘alayhi salâm, until he comes we have no power.
* * *
randshaykh has just asked me to pass on this message: Grandshaykh is very pleased with all his daughters, all his daughters. He says that if only they would stop being jealous they will be with the Prophet, salla llâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, awake they
will be seeing him!
* * *
awlânâ was asked about paying insurance, he told the ques- tioner: Do not pay insurance, trust in Allāh, not insurance,
and give the money that you would pay for insurance as sadaqah, that protects you. If you have to have insurance for legal reasons then do so.
* * *
h e high e st adab, the one with the highest adab for Allāh is always happy with everything that comes to him. That is
the highest point of respect and belief, because that one knows that everything is from Allāh. Nothing comes from anyone except Allāh, He controls everything.
The highest adab is to know and accept and be happy with every- thing: because everything is Perfect. It cannot be other than Perfect. Even in its imperfection it is Perfect. That is the highest point, and the most difficult to reach, always be happy.
* * *
he statio n o f w om en: Every maqām is open to women.
There is no maqām that women cannot reach. Every maqām is open to them. Every maqām. There is no maqām that they cannot reach. They may reach much more quickly than men – a woman may reach the highest maqām in forty minutes, she may reach in forty minutes that which it takes a man forty days to reach ... Her problem is staying there! Therefore she is in need of a husband, a shaykh, to give her the stability she needs.
*
* *
*
Glossary of terms
‘Abdu l-Qādir al-Jîlānî – Born 470 AH (1077 AD) – died 561 AH (1166 AD).
Known as The Rose of Baghdad, he was born in Naif in the Jilan district of Persia, and he was a descendant of the Holy Prophet Mukammad, his mother being descended from the Prophet’s grandson Óusayn and his father from the Prophet’s grandson Óasan. The founder of the Qādirî tarîqah, he is one of the most renowned Sufis of all times. The most famous collection of his lectures is “The Revelations of the Unseen” (Futûª al-ghayb).
Abû Bakr as-Ziddîq – Born 53 before Hijrah (570 AD) – died 12 AH (633 AD). First Khalîfah of the Holy Prophet Mukammad and inheritor of the inner teaching transmitted to his heart in the Cave of Thawr where the Prophet and he were hiding from would-be assassins.
Abû Lahab – The wealthiest of the Pro- phet’s uncles. He refused to accept Islām and did everything in his power to destroy Mukammad. Two of his sons embraced Islām.
Abû Yazîd al-Bis†āmî – Born 186 AH (800 AD)? – died 260 AH (874-877
AD). Also known as Bāyazîd and
tayfûr, was born in North-Eastern Persia, the grandson of a Zoroastri- an. One of the most colourful figures in the history of the Sufis, there are many wonderful stories and sayings from his life which are mentioned in Tadhkirat al-awliyâ’, Farîd ud-din A††ār (“Muslim Saints and Mystics”–
translated by Arberry). He was an early Naqshbandî master and was famed for his many miracles and start- ling sayings.
adab – Good manners, the proper way of behaving, respecting people’s feelings and knowing how to treat them, as well as keeping one’s respect towards Allāh Almighty and having a correct attitude in your relationship to Him, are at the heart of the teaching of the Holy Prophet Mukammad – this whole area of knowledge and wisdom is refferred to as adab.
ahl al-bayt – People of my house – the blood descendants of the Prophet Mukammad, peace be upon him and upon his family.
ahlan wa sahlan – Literally, fields and houses. A welcome.
ahlu s-sunnati wa l-jamā‘ah – People of the Sunna and community.
ākhirah – The Hereafter. ‘alayhi salām – Peace be on him.
‘alaykum bi shām – Seek refuge in Damascus, an advice from both the Qur’ān and from Óadîth.
al-kamdu li-llāh – All Praise is due to Allāh.
‘Alî ibn tālib – Born 30 Before Hijrah (592 AD). Assassinated 40 AH (662 AD). Cousin of the Prophet and husband of the Prophet’s daughter Fā†imah. Fourth and last of the rightly guided Khalifs. Inheritor of Islām’s inner teaching, and thus the first Shaykh in the succession of forty Zûfî turuq.
Allāh – The name of God which en- compasses all the other names. The One True God for whom there is no partner nor any equal in the Heavens or the Earth.
Allāhu Akbar! – God is Greater.
Allāhu ‘ālim – God is the Knower, God knows.
Allāhumma salli ‘alā Mukammadin wa ‘alā āli Mukammadin wa sallim – O God send blessings on Mukammad and send blessings upon the family of Mukammad.
Allāhu na|irî – Allāh is watching me. Allāhu shahid – He is the one who wit-
nesses all things and events every- where at all times.
al-‘arsh – The Divine Throne. anbiyā’ – Prophets.
ashhadu – I bear witness. The declara- tion of faith in Islām states – I witness that there is no god but God and I witness that Mukmmad is His servant and His Messenger.
astaghfiru llāh – Seeking forgiveness from Allāh.
a‘ûdhu bi-llāhi mina sh-shay†āni r-ra- jîm – I seek refuge in Allāh against shay†ān.
awliyā’, walî singular of awliyā’ – Friends of Allāh, nearest English equivalent is Saint.
āyah – Sign of Allāh, verse of the Holy Qur’ān.
‘Azîz Allāh – He is the Victorious one whom no force can overwhelm. But He does not hurry to destroy the one who persists in revolt and sin.
banî Âdam – Children of Âdam.
barakah, plural: barakāt – Blessing, benediction, abundant and continual good, prosperity, good fortune. A spiritual aura emanating from holy people, places and objects (tombs of saints, places of pilgrimage).
Battle of Ukud – The second battle between the Muslims and the Mec- cans, the first was the battle of Badr in which the Muslims were victori- ous. At Ukud the battle appeared over and Muslim bowmen in a key position and under strict orders not to leave their post for anything did so when they thought the battle had been won and didn’t want to miss out on any spoils. The Meccan were able to snatch victory back. Sixty- five Muslims were martyred, among them the Prophet’s uncle, Óamzah. At one point in the battle the Prophet himself was, incorrectly, believed to be dead.
baya‘/bayat – To take an oath of alle-
giance. The companions of the Prophet took bādunyā with him. The mureeds of a shaykh take bādunyā with him.
Bilāl – An African slave who was tor- tured by his owner to try and make him deny Allāh. He refused. When the Prophet made his ascent into the Divine Presence he heard the foot- steps of Bilāl, Allāh Almighty had lifted him to Him to save him from suffering.
bismi llāhi r-rakmāni r-rakîm – In the name of Allāh the All Merciful the All Compassionate.
dhikr – Mentioning. Often translated as remembering. Used to name the ac- tivity of recitation of the Holy Names of Allāh, the Holy Qur’ān, and any other act of remembering Him.
Dajjāl – The Anti-Christ, may Allāh protect us from falling victim to his deception. He will appear at the end of time, after the Great War (Third World War), in the time of Sayyidinā Mahdî, who will not have the power to kill Dajjāl. That power Allāh Almighty has given to Jesus
Christ who will at that time descend from Heaven and go out to fight and kill Dajjāl in a place to the north of Damascus.
du‘ā’ – invocation.
dunyā – The “here”, this life, the world of things. Material existence and ma- terialism.
dustoor – Avert.
efendi – An honorific title.
fātikah – The opening sûrah of the Qur’- ān, al-Fātikah, literally, the opening. The whole Qur’ān is contained in the Fātikah.
kadîth – Prophetic Tradition. Beginning with the generation of the tābi‘în (those who never met the Prophet but did meet some of his surviving companions) those kadîths began to be collected in volumes and classified according to subject and verified in authenticity through examination of the reliability of the characters and memories of those who transmitted them.
kajj – Pilgrimage to Mecca to visit the Holy House of Allāh, the Ka‘bah. It is one of the five pillars of Islām that every Muslim must make Óajj once in their life.
kalāl– Permissible, lawful, legitimate. All actions which fall within the limits of the Sharî‘ah.
al-Óalîm – The Forbearer. He is for- bearing in the punishment of the guilty.
karām – Forbidden, unlawful, prohibi- ted either because of sacredness or harmfulness. All actions which fall outside the limits of Sharî‘ah.
Harûn ar-Rashîd – Khalif of the Abbasid dynasty, the longest-lived of the me- dieval Islamic world (749-1258) based
in Baghdad. He is the Khalif of The Thousand and one Nights, and ruled from 786-809.
kaqq/kaqqānî – Óaqq is one of the ninety nine names of Allāh – The Truth. He is the Truth, His being never changes, His Essence is valid in itself and is the cause and necessity for all other existence. Óaqq is exist- ent by itself, the only true existence. Everything except Allāh begins, changes, disappears, reappears. The Truth is that which needs no proof and whose denial is impossible. Allāh is the Truth whose Essence is the cause and is necessary for all other existence.
kayya ‘alā s-salāh – Hasten to the prayer.
ikdā – Presentation of the blessings that have been received to the Prophet, the companions, the saints, the schol- ars and the masters of the †arîqah.
iksān – Excellence, particularly of man- ners and faith.
Imām – Leader of prayer. Literally ‘in front of’.
imān – Faith.
jalla jallālah – From al-Jalîl, The Majes- tic, the Mighty. Al-Jalîl is the Lord of Majesty and Might. His Knowledge, Power, Mercy, Generosity, Wisdom and Compassion is Great – He is the source and owner of all attributes of greatness.
Jamāl – Perfect Beauty. janāzah – Funeral prayer.
Jibrîl – The Archangel Gabriel.
jinn – Genie, what we indiscriminately refer to as spirits. The Qur’ān is ad- dressed to both Mankind and Jinn. The Jinn are made of smokeless fire, Man from earth and the Angels from light. There are both believers and un-
believers found among the Jinn. Their bodies being subtler than man’s, they cannot be seen normally, however they can affect the lives of men in various ways.
Ka‘bah – The Holy House of Allāh in Mecca. Built in the shape of a cube, the Ka‘bah was first erected by the Prophet Abraham and his son Ismā‘îl when Abraham was ordered to leave his wife Hajar and her son in that desolate valley. Allāh provided them miraculously with water from the Zam-zam well, and established them in the land. The Lord promised to bless the seed of Ismā‘îl and the fruit of the blessing was the sending of the Prophet Mukmmad. After the Ka‘bah’s consecration to the one true God by Abraham and his son, the people fell into idol worship for many generations until the time of Mukammad, when the Ka‘bah was cleaned of idols and worship of the One True God was re-established. All Muslims face the direction of the Ka‘bah in their prayers – not be- cause they assume God to be living in it – rather that it is the symbolic demonstration of unity.
kāfir – Denier, rejector of Truth. Un-
believer. Whoever has come into contact with the true religion repre- sented in its pure form by a Prophet or by one of their inheritors, and then consciously rejects that Truth and persists in stubborn unbelief is said to be a kāfir.
al-Karîm, Karîm Allāh – The Generous, one of the Ninety-nine Names. In His Generosity He gives help, satisfy- ing your needs before you ask. His greatest Generosity is His Mercy, through which He forgives when He could punish.
Kamāl – Perfect wholeness.
khalîfah – Deputy. The Islamic state was ruled by the Khalif. The first Khalif was Abû Bakr as-Ziddîq.
khi†ab – Speech, an address.
khu†bah – The address to the congrega- tion at the Friday prayers.
kursî – Chair, the Divine Throne.
Layla and Majnûn – Majnûn fell madly in love with Layla, he could think of nothing but her.
Lā ilāha illā llāh – There is no god ex- cept God.
Lā ilāha ill Allāh Mukammadun Rasûl Allāh – There is no god except God and Mukammad is His Messenger.
laka aslamnā – to you we surrender.
madad – Support.
al-Mahdî – The Last One. A man from the descendants of the Holy Prophet Mukammad who will appear at the end of time in order to fight the ene- mies of faith and prepare the way for the coming of Jesus Christ. Imām al-Mahdî will be given miracles to accomplish his great mission and will rule the world for seven years. He will appear three months after the out- break of the Third World War, and one of his miracles will be that when he pronounces the words, “Allāhu Akbar!” three times, all the techno- logy of the war and of the world will cease to function.
maqām – On the spiritual journey there
are different stations, or ranks to be attained. The seeker sometimes receives a taste of them as a blessing from their Lord, these are known as states (kāl) but it is only when they are firm in their position that they have attained the maqām, the station.
Mawlānā – Our master.
mā zāgha l-basar wa mā hawā – (During his heavenly journey) the Prophet’s gaze k neither digressed nor sank.
mi‘rāj – One of the miracles of the Pro-
phet. He was taken by Jibrîl on the back of the mystical steed, al-Burāq, from the Holy Mosque of Mecca to the Holy Rock of Jerusalem and up from there to the Seven Heavens, in each of which he met and conversed with one of the Holy Prophets who came before him. After reaching the top of the Seventh Heaven, he was taken to the limit of Jibrîl’s domain, then con- tinued to the Divine Presence where he came within two bow lengths of the Majestic and Most Exalted Crea- tor of the Heavens and Earth.
Mukammad – Mukammad son of ‘Ab- dullāh, son of ‘Abd al-Mu††alib – The Messenger of Allāh Almighty who was sent as a mercy unto the Worlds, the last of the Prophets and their leader – he for who’s sake Allāh created the world, May peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him. He was born in the fifty-first year before Hijrah (569 AD) and his father died before Mukammad was born. He grew up in the care of his uncle Abû tālib and worked as a shepherd and later as a trader. At the age of twenty-five he marrried a widow named Khadîjah who was fifteen years elder, and re- mained married solely to her until her death twenty-six years later.
Mukammad never worshipped the
idols that had been set up in and around the Holy House in Mecca. Rather, Mukammad was one of the detached seekers of Truth who were known as ‘Óunafā’’, who were search- ing for the purity of the religion of Abraham, rejecting what they could recognize as the obvious perversions in not only the cults of the pagan Arabs
who were predominant in Arabia, but also in the much tampered with doctrines of the Jews and Christians. At the age of forty, Mukammad was in spiritual seclusion in the Cave of Hira when he was visited by the Angel Gabriel who ordered him to read. Mukammad replied that he did not know how to read or write, as he was unlettered; but the Angel squeezed his chest and repeated the order thrice: “Read in the name of your Lord Who created; created man from a clot of blood, Read and your Lord is the Most Generous, for He is the One who taught man by the pen, taught man that which he did not know!” With these words the revelation of the Qur’ān commenced, and for the following twenty-three years the Prophet continued to re- ceive revelation through Gabriel. These revelations are contained in the Holy Qur’ān which is a source of enough guidance to lead the nation of Mukammad from that time to the Last Day.
Thirteen years after the beginning
of revelation, the Holy Prophet mi- grated from Mecca to Medina along with his followers, when the pagan Arabs of Mecca threatened and tried to kill him. This event is called Hij- rah and it marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. After living for ten years in Medina, a time in which all the Qurān’ic verses dictating Islamic Law and social norms were revealed, and Islām had been established in an entire community as a living way of life, the Prophet passed on to the hands of his Creator. He passed away on the same date as he was born – the twelfth of the lunar month Rabî‘ah al-Awwal, in the year 10 AH (632 AD).
Mu’min – A Believer.
murîd – A follower who desires to learn the Sufi Way from a Shaykh. Literally one who is asking.
mushrik – Idol worshipper. Those who make partners.
Muslim – One who has surrendered his will to the Will of Allāh.
nafs – Soul, self, ego. Three levels of nafs are mentioned in the Holy Qur’ān: 1 The nafs al-ammārah bi-ssû’ – the lower self that prompts one to evil and gratification of animal desires. 2 The nafs al-lawwāmah – the awaken- ing conscience, the self-accusing self. 3 The nafs al-mu†ma’innah – the tranquil soul at peace, the God-real- ized self.
nasîkah – Advice.
Nimrod – The idol worshipping king who tried to burn Abraham alive after he destroyed the idols to show the people that what they worshipped was powerless mud and wood.
niyyah – Intention.
nûr – Literally: light. A spiritual light that shines from the soul, from the pure heart. One of The Names, an- Nûr. The Light. He is the light shed upon the whole Creation, making it apparent, bringing existence out of the darkness of non-existence. That light makes the conceivable known. The light of faith and wisdom shows the perceptible, and the eye of the heart sees. The light of faith shows the right path of salvation, it is like a sun in the heart, bringing one to the light of Truth. Devil and ego cannot enter a divine house, a heart illuminated by the light of faith because they are thieves operating in darkness. The gate to the heart is the mind, the light of that gate is knowledge, blocking out the evil of ignorance, imagination,
hypocrisy and arrogance. The light of the soul is consciousness, its darkness
– heedlessness.
Qur’ān Karîm – Literally, Qur’ān means lecture, recitation. The Noble Qur’ān was revealed unto the Prophet Mukammad over a twenty-three year period. It is a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds imparted through the Angel Gabriel to the heart of Mukam- mad, peace and blessings be upon him, and passed on by the Prophet, by Di- vine Command, to the whole of Man- kind and Jinn. It was sent as a Seal of Scriptures, following in the footsteps of the Torah, Psalms and Gospel in bringing light unto the people of the world of darkness. In it is affirmed the Prophethood of all the earlier Proph- ets, and major incidents from their lives are summarized therein; the Qur’ān brings to light the crimes of tampering with scripture which both Jews and Christians had been guilty of, and sets straight all that they had twisted and misunderstood in their doctrines. The Qur’ān sets down a Di- vinely Inspired Law and Way of Life which is valid and applicable until the end of time. The Qur’ān contains not only Law and summaries of the lives of earlier Prophets, but also mystical parables, descriptions of eternal bliss for the obedient and warnings of tor- ment for the stubborn and evil-doing tyrants of this world. The Qur’ān is the Eternal Speech of Allāh and has been transmitted to Mankind in the Arabic language because of the mystical power of its sounds – the sound of the Qur’ān has been known to melt the hearts of the most stub- born unbelievers who understood not a word of Arabic – it cannot really be translated into any other language.
A translation of its meaning may be useful indeed, but it cannot stand in the place of the original, neither in prayer nor spiritual benefit.
Rābi†ah – From the verb raba†a to link, to connect.
ar-Rakmān – The Beneficent. He is the one Who wills mercy and good for all Creation at all times. He doesn’t dis- tinguish between the good and the bad one, the obedient and the disobedient, believer or unbeliever. Through His Divine Justice He gives chance to everyone to reach everything through this life. He is Compassionate and Beneficent to all creatures.
ar-Rakîm – The Merciful. He is the one who rewards the good servants, the obedient ones, the believers. That signs also His Justice because those who put their ego under their feet are not like those dominated by their ego. Rakmān is Mercy upon the nafs, the worldly being, giving sustenance in this world; Rakîm is Mercy upon the heart, giving eternal salvation in the hereafter.
Rama¡ān – The Holy month of the nation of Mukammad during which it is obligatory for Muslims to fast from sunrise to sunset, neither eating or drinking.
Rasûl Allāh – Messenger of Allāh. Rizq – Provision. From ar-Razzāq – the
Sustainer. Sustenance is needed to maintain the Creation. He provides and portions out physical and spiritual sustenance.
sābiqûn – Those that came before us, those that preceded us.
sadaqah – Voluntary charity. Acts of charity also include acts such as visit- ing the sick and other good actions.
sakābah – The companions of the Holy Prophet Mukammad, may Allāh be pleased with all of them. They num- bered 124,000 and represented all the different types of personalities that would be found throughout the era of the Nation of Mukammad. The sakābah who embraced Islām in Mecca and later migrated to Medina were called the Muhājirûn (those who have made hijrah, migration). The Ansār (Helpers) were those residents of Medina who embraced Islām and welcomed the Prophet and his fellow Muhajirûn to Medina, preferring them, in many cases, to themselves and giving them most of what they possessed. Later there were many other sakābah who embraced Islām as it spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula, including the residents of Mecca who had fought against the Prophet but later embraced Islām en masse when the Muslim Army con- quered Mecca in the year 6 AH.
shahādah – Witnessing. The declara-
tion of faith.
Shahîd – A Martyr. Comes from the verb root, witnessing. One killed fighting for Allāh.
Shāh Naqshband – Born 717 AH (1317 AD) near Bukhara, died 791 AH (1389 AD) in his native village where he is buried. The Imām of the Naqshbandî
tarîqah, he was the inheritor of the spiritual way called the Path of the Masters (Khawājagān). His name signifies the concept of ‘drawing pic- tures of the indescribable reality on the heart’. Shah Naqshband studied under Mukammad Baba as-Sammāsî who ultimately appointed him his Khalîfah. He continued his studies under another Khalîfah of Baba as-Sammāsî, Amir Kulāl, and yet another, ‘Ârif ad-Dikkiranî, before
taking the reins of the †arîqah himself. He then spent seven years as a cour- tier, seven years looking after animals and seven in road building. Among his followers, he introduced the silent dhikr, rather than the types of loud and lively dhikr-rituals that were pre- dominant among the Sufis of his time. He preferred the silent dhikr as it was taught by the earlier master ‘Abdu l- Khāliq al-Ghujdawānî (died 575 AH). Consequently the Naqshbandiyyah became known as the Way of the Silent Dervishes and most of their rituals are performed silently and individually. The Naqshbandiyyah is the only †arîqah which came down through Abû Bakr rather than ‘Alî and only Naqshbandî Shaykhs have the authority to initiate students into all other †arîqah branches, that it is why it is called tarîqah al-‘Aliyyah – The Most Distinguished of tarîqah, Orders.
salla llāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam – Allāh pray
upon him (the Prophet) and send him peace.
salawāt – Praise and prayers for the Prophet.
as-Zālikîn – The righteous.
shāfî, yā Shāfî – Healer, O healer. sharî‘ah – The canon law of Islām, the
totality of Allāh’s commandments relating to the activities of man; the indispensable basis for religious life. Sharî‘ah and kaqqîqah (the mystical reality) form a correlated pair, giving to man the possibility of unfolding his potential to the highest degree.
Shukru li-llāh – Thanking. Giving thanks to the Lord. From ash-Shukr, the Thankful, the Benefactor, one of the Ninety-nine Names of Allāh.
siddiqî – Trustworthy.
sukbah – Association, companionship. Subkān Allāh – Glory be to God.
Subkān Allāh ta‘ālā – Glory be to God Most High.
sujûd – Prostration. One of the integral postures in the prayer ritual.
Sul†ān al-Awliyā’ – King of the Saints. Title given to Shaykh ‘Abdullāh ad- Daghestānî. The Head of the Naqsh- bandî tarîqah before Shaykh Nāzim. Shaykh Nāzim would never refer to himself as Sul†ān al-Awliyā’ although others do.
Sul†ān Allāh – Allāh is the one True Lord. He is King, He is Sul†ān.
sunnah – The practice and way of the Holy Prophet Mukammad, which encompasses everything from his manners, pronouncements, advice, rulings and even ways of relating to eating and going to the toilet, and supplications which follow those acts. His was the way of perfect manners and behaviour which we must try to emulate if we hope to reach anything of spiritual perfection.
tabārakah – The first word of sûrah al- Mulk. Sûrahs of the Qur’ān are often referred to by their first word.
tablîghi – Conveyance, transmission, delivery. Calling people to Islām.
†arîqah – Way, or path. Often associated with the Sufi Path. All Zûfî turuq originate in the heart of the Prophet Mukammad, peace be upon him, and consist of the inner teachings of Islām which he passed on to ‘Alî and Abû Bakr, and they in turn to their suc- cessors. When the Holy Prophet had learned something from the Angel Gabriel or through inspiration, it was also indicated to him to which category that knowledge belonged: whether it was meant for him alone, whether it was knowledge which he had permission to pass along to the elect of his disciples (this category
is the knowledge of the †arîqahs), or knowledge which he could announce openly to all the World.
tasbîk – Glorification of Allāh. This word refers not only to those praises made to Allāh by pious worshipping people, but also to the exalting and worship of Allāh by all animals, plants and inanimate objects.
tawbah li-llāh – tawbah – Repentance. From at-Tawwāb – the Acceptor of repentance. He constantly turns man to repent, awakening the hearts of believers from the sleep of heedless- ness through love of Him, with the manifestation of His existence around them, with the words of good advice of those who are close to Him, with promises of rewards and fear of His punishment. The repentance accept- able is the effort of inner cleaning and purification. The Prophet says that the person who repents of a sin is like someone who has never sinned.
†awāf – Circumabulation of the Holy
House in Mecca, in imitation of the Angels’ constant circumambulation of the Divine Throne.
thawwāb – Reward. thumma – Then.
‘ulamā’ – Scholars.
‘Umar (ibn al-Kha††āb) – Born 30 be- fore Hijrah, assassinated 23 AH (644 AD). The second of the Rightly Guided Khalîfahs of the Holy Prophet Mukammad. ‘Umar was at first an enemy of Islām and was on his way to kill the Prophet, but when he entered the Prophet’s chamber belief in Islām and the Prophet’s mission came into his heart and he left a Muslim and a dedicated follower of Mukammad. ‘Umar was known for his boundless enthusiasm in trying to serve the Prophet, for his quick
temper, unswerving sense of justice and absolute integrity. It was under the Khalîfat of ‘Umar, which began in the twelfth year after Hijrah follow- ing the death of Abû Bakr, that Islām spread through the Middle East and Central Asia. He was stabbed in the back while at prayer by a Christian slave, and upon his deathbed thanked God for not letting him die at the hands of a fellow Muslim.
ummah – Community. Especially the na- tion of any given prophet, i. e. those for which he is responsible and for whom he will intercede. Now is the time for which the Prophet Mukammad, peace be upon him, is responsible. All people living from the time of his mes- sage to the last day are his Ummah. They are divided into the Ummah of Those Who Have Been Called (Um- mah ad-Dawwah) and Those Who Have Answered The Call (Ummah al-Ijābah).
al-Wahhāb – The Giver of All. He is the Benefactor, He gives all without conditions, without limits, with- out asking for any benfit or return, giving everything to everyone, eve- rywhere, always. He gives money to the poor, health to the sick, children to those who are barren, freedom to the trapped, knowledge to the igno- rant. When He gives to you nothing can prevent that good from coming to you.
wahhābî – A group of Muslims who are followers of the infamous Mukammad bin ‘Abd al-Wahhāb of Najd, Saudia Arabia. This group is that which the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, referred to as those who will come at the end of time, who will profess reli- gion but in reality it will pass through their hearts like an arrow.
walāyah – Sainthood. The state of being a friend of Allāh. The word wilāyah which means a district of territory is from the same root, and this points to the fact that the awliyā’ have always guarded over areas apportioned to them by higher authority (Allāh and His Prophet), and are responsible for attending to the spiritual needs of the inhabitants of the areas over which they have been made responsible.
wu¡û’ – Ritual ablution. Before pray- ing it is obligatory for every Muslim to perform ablution by making the intention to perform ablution for prayer for the sake of Allāh. He then washes his hands, mouth, nostrils, face, arms, head, ears, back of neck and feet. Although it is not obligatory, it is considered very good practice to remain always in a state of ritual pu- rity. Ablution must be renewed after
going to the toilet, passing wind, getting angry or sexually excited, and after sleep.
wujûd kaqqānî – wujûd – body. Real body, not the physical corpus but the True Real Body which is the gift of Allāh Almighty to the sincere servant.
Yawm al-Qiyāmah – The Day of Re- surrection. The Day upon which the bones of all the Children of Âdam will be called from their graves, clothed anew with flesh and skin, and called to account for the actions they per- formed in their lives.
zakāh – Poor-due.
zāwiyah – Literally – corner. Sufis used to gather for dhikr or sukbah in a corner of the mosque. It became the name of their centers.
m o r e b o o k s b y s p o h r
This
Sheikh Nazim To Be a Muslim The Basics of Faith
84 pages, Lympia 2016.
ISBN 978–9963–40–122–2
is an adequate guidebook for
all of mankind, indeed upon all crea- tures and everything brought into ex- istence by the Creator. He will begin to fathom why even stones weep at the passing of this holy month.
Mawlânâ Firâqî
everyone who wants to learn more about his religion, especially in this time when there is so much misinfor- mation, and when so many sources pro- fessing Islam are unreliable.
The Forty Questions Prophet Muªammad’s k Response
to the Jews of Medina
144 pages, Lympia 2013.
ISBN 978-9963-40-113-0
N abil Ibrahim
The
beautiful and astonish-
Dawriya
ing stories lead to a profound
Keeping Company with a Saint
160 pages, paperback,Lympia 2016.
isb n 978–9963–40–124–6
Nabil Ibrahim, who devoted him- self to the service of his Master for 15 years, found the voice to speak, the words to express something of the love and gratitude we all feel for an in- comparable Master. But the love he so powerfully gives voice to, is ours, all of ours, the same.
A mina Adil
Ramadan
The Three Holy Month
of Rajab, Sha‘bân, Rama¡ân
On Fasting, Prayer and Other Matters
80 pages, Lympia 2016.
ISBN 978–9963–40–125–3
understanding of the power of Allāh Almighty, His will and compassion which He bestows upon His creation
–a wisdom which generations of Mus- lims are proud of.
I mâm al-Ghazâlî
Mukhtasar
The Ihyâ’ ‘ulûm ad-dîn as abriged by himself
Translated from the Arabic, and annotated by Marwan Khalaf
Hardcover, 480 pages,
Lympia 2013.
isb n 978–9963–40–051–5
The Shaykh and Imam, the Proof of Islam, Abû Óâmid Muªammad ibn Muªammad al-Ghazâlî ق stated: ‘... I missed, in some of my travels, a facility for extracting from the Ihyâ’ ‘ulûm ad- dîn its essences, due to the difficulty of
This book contains some of the
carrying it around with me, on account
most beautiful traditions concerning the holy months Rajab, Sha‘bān, and Rama¡ān in particular. The reader will understand that its blessings descend not only upon the Muslims, but upon
of its bulk. Hence I tackled this matter, seeking success and guidance from God and praising His Prophet. It consists of forty chapters. – And God guides to the truth.’
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